In the 26th Jan 25 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:
l Joyful scenes as released Israeli female hostages are reunited with their families.
l Positive news for sufferers of blocked blood vessels, strokes and arthritis.
l Donating to Israeli charities? Check their “Seal of Effectiveness”.
l New Israeli technology combines digital and traditional learning.
l Three end-of-year reports highlight the strength of Israel’s economy.
l An Israeli won the Houston marathon.
· Click here to see the 19th Jan newsletter on (TY Steve) IsraelSeen, (TY Ruth) Ruthfully Yours, (TY) Aviva) United With Israel, (TY Ted Belman) IsraPundit and Joan Swirsky (email her to get daily news). Also (TY Sandra) for translating it into German here, and Hebrew here, and with (TY) Claude into French here. Also (TY Barbara) into Spanish here. (Please forward this newsletter to German-speaking, Spanish-speaking, French-speaking and Hebrew-speaking contacts. Also please visit my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/verygoodnewsIL.
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POSITIVE NEWS IN A WAR
Reunited! The heartwarming scenes of the three released women hostages greeting their parents. The news of their freedom was announced on every El Al airplane, followed by cheers and applause from passengers. And hot off the press, scenes of the latest 4 female soldier hostages being reunited with their families.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9O_ibCnMZjk
https://worldisraelnews.com/watch-el-al-announces-hostage-release-on-all-airborne-flight/
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/402843
114 donated sets of tefillin. A Jewish girl from Brooklyn, New York, has founded the organization Tefillin On Us, that supplies tefillin to IDF soldiers who are non-religious or cannot afford them but wish to wrap daily. Since Oct 7 2023, it has donated 114 pairs of tefillin - each costing over $1,000.
https://unitedwithisrael.org/watch-amazing-initiative-donates-tefillin-to-needy-idf-soldiers/
Look who started wearing tefillin. (TY Laura B) The father and brother of Romi Gonen (one of the women hostages released on 19 Jan), decided to start wearing tefillin about 2 months ago.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1O0H3OwCT182A23xKVoLfF58T4OgRgotR/view
Shabbat meeting to save lives of hostages. (TY Yanky) The Israeli cabinet, including Shabbat-observant ministers, debated the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal long into Shabbat. They adhered to the rabbinical dictum “Pikuach nefesh docheh Shabbat” – rescuing a life takes precedence over the rules of Shabbat.
Caring for wildlife in a war. The KKL-JNF Agamon Wildlife Rehabilitation Center (AWRC) in the Galilee’s Hula Valley has continued to treat injured wildlife throughout the war. It provides care to thousands of animals, from birds of prey to small mammals. It also serves as a hub for research and public education.
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-837176
Our response is a new factory. Israel’s Strauss’s Group chairperson Ofra Strauss told the Globes "Returning to the North" conference that the company this year will open a new factory for plant-based milk products in Ahihud, about 9km East of Akko (Acre). She linked the theme of building to the return of the hostages.
https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-ofra-strauss-new-factory-in-north-is-our-response-1001500101
Thai workers return to Negev farms. Some 9,000 Thai agricultural workers who survived the Oct 7 2023 Hamas attacks went back home (39 others were murdered and 8 are still held hostage). Almost all 9,000 have since returned, many to the communities that came under attack that day - heartwarming to their Israeli friends.
https://www.jns.org/thai-farm-workers-attacked-on-oct-7-return-to-negev-farms/
ISRAEL’S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
Fast track for blocked blood vessel treatment. (TY Atid-EDI) The US FDA has granted Fast Track Designation to Israel’s BioGenCell (see here previously) for the development of BGC101 – its lead candidate for treating severe Critical Limb Threatening Ischemia (CLTI).
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/biogencell-receives-fda-fast-track-140000739.html
European approval for stroke therapy. Israel’s Brain.Q (see here previously) has received the CE-Mark for its BQ 2.0 system, designed to reduce disability following ischemic stroke, the number one cause of disability worldwide. Brain.Q is also enrolling in the EMAGINE II pivotal study to seek US-FDA clearance.
Positive proof of concept for arthritis treatment. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s Raphael announced positive proof-of-concept clinical study results of its HPC1 non-psychoactive cannabinoid-based formula developed for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. 12 adult participants reported lower pain levels and better sleep quality.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/raphael-pharmaceutical-announces-positive-proof-130000207.html
https://www.raphaelpharmaceutical.com/
Innovation in Cardiovascular Interventions. Israel recently held the 2024 conference on innovation in interventional cardiology (ICI) for the 29th year in Tel Aviv. Levron Medical won the $200,000 Jon de Haan Innovation award for its Cardio-Respiratory Physiological Assist (CRPA) Treatment..
https://www.jpost.com/business-and-innovation/tech-and-start-ups/article-829448 https://icimed.org/
https://www.levron-medical.com/
Revolutionizing healthcare in the South. The new Mor Institute's Be'er Sheva branch allows residents to get cancer screening, low-radiation CT scans, virtual colonoscopies, eye care services such as retina consultations and OCT exams, cardiac tests like Holter monitoring and vascular ultrasounds, bone density tests, and more.
https://www.jpost.com/health-and-wellness/article-836357
Training for the best doctors. With medicine being so complicated, all major medical centers are establishing programs to help junior doctors improve the quality of treatment and research. Jerusalem’s Hadassah Medical Center has established its “Elite Residency and Training Center” for 100+ doctors learning a specialty annually.
https://www.jpost.com/health-and-wellness/article-834346
ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL
Teaching Hebrew to benefit Bedouin kids. A unique course connects Ben-Gurion University students to Bedouin highschoolers near Beersheva. The BGU students earn necessary academic credit, while the Bedouin students significantly improve their Hebrew to enter academia and achieve inclusion in Israeli society.
https://www.israel21c.org/teaching-bedouin-kids-hebrew-improves-their-opportunities/
Efficient charities. Israeli non-profit Tav Midot assesses Israeli charities and awards a “seal of effectiveness” on those that pass its scrutiny as to professionalism, efficiency and “value for money”. Over 150 Israeli non-profits are valid holders of Midot Seal of Effectiveness, granted for a period of up to three years.
https://www.midot.org.il/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/The-Midot-Seal-of-Effectiveness-02.pdf
https://midot.org.il/tav-midot
Weizmann goes green. Israel’s Weizmann Institute of Science is switching to the use of only green electricity and is becoming an almost fully renewable energy campus. It will supplement its own 12% solar energy with green, solar-derived electricity from the Enlight company to cover all the electricity consumption of its campus.
https://wis-wander.weizmann.ac.il/campus/weizmann-institute-science-moves-100-green-electricity
Israeli passports get stronger. The Henley Passport Index ranks the Israeli passport as the 19th strongest in the world (up two places from last year and six from 2023). Israeli passport holders can now enter 170 countries without a visa. Only the United Arab Emirates is higher in the Middle East region.
https://www.jns.org/israeli-passport-among-worlds-top-20-strongest/
https://www.henleyglobal.com/passport-index https://www.henleyglobal.com/passport-index/ranking
Congressional Friends of Judea and Samaria. Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-N.Y.) has launched the congressional Friends of Judea and Samaria caucus to support legislation rejecting the term “West Bank” and to foster ties between Israel and the United States. They don’t say the US was founded on ‘West Bank-Christian’ principles.
https://www.jns.org/tenney-launches-congressional-friends-of-judea-and-samaria-caucus/
Sharing Israeli agritech know-how. Yosef Abramowitz, CEO of Israel’s Energiya has set up a new non-profit Gigawatt Impact to share Israeli agrivoltaics expertise with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the United States. Agrivoltaics is the dual use of land for solar-energy production and agriculture.
https://www.jns.org/israel-to-share-agritech-know-how-with-hbcus-in-the-us/
Israel could help solve Syria’s water crisis. Interesting article, explaining why Syria is suffering a severe water crisis and devastated agriculture resulting from water mismanagement, over extraction, and Turkey’s damming of the Euphrates river. Ironically, Israelis could help solve the crisis, but will Syria ask them?
https://www.ynetnews.com/business/article/bjts9a3pkl
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Tech course to develop disability aids. Israel’s Technion Institute has launched its Disability Breakthrough Technology course. It aims to train students in social-technological entrepreneurship with an emphasis on solutions for people with disabilities and rehabilitation. It is even more important in light of the ongoing war.
https://ats.org/our-impact/technion-students-tackle-disability-challenges-with-tech-innovation/
https://www.technion.ac.il/en/2024/12/assistive-technology-for-people-with-disabilities/
AI partners for recruitment. Israel’s Revealense (see here previously) has joined with Israel’s Iverse to use AI to help recruiters assess candidates. Revealense’s Illuminator, analyzes movements, and Iverse‘s “diagnostic psychologist” identifies cognitive skills, performance capabilities, interpersonal skills and organizational fit.
https://www.israel21c.org/2-ai-companies-join-forces-for-next-gen-employee-recruiting/
https://www.i-verse.online/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7RSFN6EQlc
Protecting against AI cyber threats. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s CyTwist has launched its detection engine to combat the rise of AI-generated malware. The advanced behavioral analysis of CyTwist Profiler identifies new threats in real time, stopping attackers before they can cause harm.
https://securitybrief.co.uk/story/cytwist-unveils-engine-to-detect-ai-powered-cyberattacks https://cytwist.com/
The world’s first four-door convertible electric hypercar. Ari Teman is the founder of startup Jovari, whose mission is to produce the world’s first four-door convertible electric hypercar – in Israel. Each buyer can customize the design of their luxury family vehicle. Jovari has joined NVIDIA’s Inception program for startups.
https://www.israel21c.org/worlds-first-4-door-convertible-ev-to-be-made-in-israel/ https://jovari.com/
https://vimeo.com/563191214/ef57c69ab9
Water and Sun. Israel’s national water company, Mekorot, has issued a tender for the supply, installation, and maintenance of photovoltaic systems to be installed on buildings and water reservoirs across the country. The energy will operate desalination plants, water treatment facilities, and facilitate water distribution.
https://www.jpost.com/environment-and-climate-change/article-838342
Agritech for Latin America. Israel’s Phytech operates in Peru and Chile, with services extended to growers in Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Guatemala, and Mexico. Phytech uses proprietary plant and field condition sensors. Also, hydraulic water monitoring provides clear visibility into tank level, pumps, filters and valves.
No-cow milk from oats. (TY OurCrowd) Israel’s Plantopia (formerly Pigmentum – see here previously) originally focused on lettuce as a production platform for milk (casein) proteins. It has now switched to using sprouted oats, as they can deliver higher expression levels of all four casein proteins.
https://finder.startupnationcentral.org/company_page/plantopia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79OAvDDQXAw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYX40hSz8E0
Vegan meat that feels like real meat. Hebrew University of Jerusalem’s Dr. Mohammad Ghosheh and Prof. Yaakov Nahmias apply cutting-edge materials science on vegan meat alternatives, to replicate the texture and structure of traditional meat. https://www.jpost.com/health-and-wellness/article-838115
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-54939-y
Bio-devices and bio-chip lab. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel is investing in a $30 million research lab for development of bio-devices and biochips. To be built by Israel Aerospace Industries and Beckermus Technologies, its goal is to harness engineering and AI to create groundbreaking biotech solutions in medicine, agriculture, energy, etc.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/sk5ntkfsjl https://www.beckermus.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pD2DcYJDxW0
Sustainable airplane fuel. Israel’s Sustainable Aviation Fuel Knowledge Center (iSAF) was inaugurated at the Technion, supported by the Ministry of Innovation, Science, and Technology, and in partnership with Boeing. The center will work towards achieving local production of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF – see here).
https://www.technion.ac.il/en/blog/article/isaf-launched-at-technion/
Safer Israeli trains. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s Rail Vision (see here previously) is to install its MainLine obstacle detection system on Israel Railways’ trains to prevent potential collisions and maintain smooth operational flow. Meanwhile, Israel Railways and Israel’s Odysight.ai will develop an AI visualization system.
https://ir.railvision.io/news-releases/news-release-details/rail-vision-receives-israel-railways-regulation-approval-its https://www.odysight.ai/press/odysight-ai-and-israel-railways-partner-to-develop-advanced-ai-powered-visualization-system-to-prevent-derailments-and-enhance-railway-safety/
The ultimate learning solution. Israel’s Jotit transforms the classroom experience in the digital age, from streamlining organization to improving handwriting skills. Jotit brings "digital-paper" to the classroom, allowing students and teachers to enjoy the benefits of both digital and traditional methods.
https://www.jotit.io/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kuZM271IWY&t=7s
ECONOMY & BUSINESS
A much better year for Israeli tech. According to the Israeli Tech Review 2024 by IVC Data and Insights and LeumiTech, 2024 was far better for Israeli tech than 2023. In summary, 40% more capital raised; an increase of 15% in the number of rounds; more multinational companies opened; and 7 new unicorns (only 4 in 2023).
https://www.ivc-online.com/Home/_atscid/7_134353_74097202_2985293_0_Tdetjdxtjpwh8psh8
Israel’s tech ecosystem evolved despite the war. (TY Nevet) Startup Nation Central reports that Israel’s hi-tech GDP grew by 2.2% in 2024. It was due to funding, a record $15.8 billion in mergers and acquisitions and mature companies driving innovation and global integration. Cybersecurity remained Israel’s tech cornerstone.
Strong investor confidence. (TY Atid-EDI) The normally anti-Israel “Economist" has rated Israel as the 6th strongest economy of 2024. It cited Israel’s strong macro figures with the low unemployment rate and the performance of the stock market strengthening the country’s situation in recent months.
https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-indicators-point-to-high-investor-confidence-in-israel-1001497442
Shekel at two-year high against Dollar. The Israeli Shekel reached its strongest level against the US Dollar for two years – 3.541 to the US$. The Bank of America expects the shekel to continue to strengthen if the ceasefire agreements are fully implemented.
https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-shekel-strongest-for-two-years-against-us-dollar-1001500186
18 years of natural gas. Israel’s Energean has agreed to provide 12 billion cubic meters of natural gas to power the power plants of Israel’s Dalia and Eshkol power plants. It will be sufficient for the next 18 years and cost some $2 billion. https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-energean-signs-2b-dalia-power-plants-gas-deal-1001500211
The ear of Finland’s police. Israel’s Silynxcom (see here previously) has won a 4-year contract worth up to $2 million, to supply advanced in-ear communication systems to the national police of Finland. It comprises new-generation high-noise protection Clarus systems, with Silynxcom’s unique “talking from the ear” technology.
On eagles’ wings. Airlines that have announced they are restoring Israel flights include Air India, Air France, Transavia, Air France, EasyJet, British Airways, ITA Airways; Wizz Air, and the Lufthansa Group (Swiss, Austrian, Brussels, Lufthansa, Eurowings. https://www.passportcard.co.il/en/airlines-flying-to-israel/
$30 million of orders. (TY Atid-EDI) Israel’s Gilat Satellite Networks (see here previously) has won $30 million of orders in the last two weeks. It includes $18 for In-Flight Connectivity Solutions (Wi-Fi on planes), and $9 million from major satellite operators for SkyEdge IV and SkyEdge II-c satellite communications.
https://www.gilat.com/pressreleases/gilat-receives-approximately-5-million-in-orders-from-us-defense-customers-2/ https://www.gilat.com/pressreleases/gilat-receives-9-million-in-orders-for-multi-orbit-skyedge-platforms/ https://www.gilat.com/pressreleases/gilat-receives-over-3-million-in-orders-to-support-leo-constellations-2/
Combating domestic violence in Alabama. Israel’s SuperCom (see here previously) has won a new contract to provide its advanced GPS tracking and domestic violence (DV) monitoring solutions to a government agency in Alabama. It is SuperCom's 5th new US state since Aug 2024 and its 10th USA contract in just 60 days.
A bigger Gong. Israel’s Gong (see here previously) has taken a 3-year lease for 3,600sqm of space in Ramat Gan at a cost of NIS 30 million. It will house many of its 380 Israel-based employees, plus the hundreds of developers it is recruiting at its Israeli R&D center. Gong has over 4,500 customers for its AI sales products.
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/r1mq5x0d1g
Exits, mergers & acquisitions – to 26/1/25:. US Metropolis has acquired Israel’s Oosto (formerly AnyVision) for $125 million. Israel’s MIND CTI is acquiring Germany’s Aurenz for up to $1.88 million.
Startup investment – to 26/1/25: Elios Health raised $60 million; Mitiga.io raised $30 million; Package.ai raised $14 million; Jotit raised $10 million; Doti.ai raised $7 million;
CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT
Jerusalem – a city of contrasts. (TY Sharon) The streets of Jerusalem are quiet in the warm winter sunshine. But building continues and the holy city echoes with prayers and hope for the return of more hostages.
https://rjstreets.com/2025/01/19/see-jerusalem-a-city-of-contrasts/
Israel is blooming. Israel is basking in the warmest winter for many years. In the sunshine the first almond tree of the season has bloomed in the KKL-JNF’s Mevo Hamma Forest in the Golan Heights, at least three weeks before the traditional start of Spring on Tu Bishvat. (New Year for Trees).
https://www.jpost.com/environment-and-climate-change/article-837959
From survivor to Eurovision star. Yuval Raphael, is Israel’s representative for the Eurovision Song Contest in 2025. Raphael, 24, won the "Rising Star" competition on Jan 22, singing ABBA’a Dancing Queen. She survived the Oct 7 2023 Nova music festival when Hamas terrorists murdered 1,200 people.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jn4nMOYvDSw
Houston marathon winner. Haimro Alame (34) won the Chevron Marathon in downtown Houston in 2:08:17 - the first Israeli victory in the Houston Marathon’s history. He celebrated by waving Israel’s flag, saying, “the win is not for me but for my country”. Alame immigrated to Israel from Ethiopia with his parents 20 years ago.
https://jewishbreakingnews.com/israeli-flag-flies-high-as-national-hero-dominates-houston-marathon/
THE JEWISH STATE
Stone mentions Roman tax imposed during Talmud period. Israeli and American archaeologists have uncovered a Roman boundary stone over 1,700 years old with a Greek inscription. These stones were used to implement Roman Emperor Diocletian’s harsh taxation laws, which are mentioned in the Jerusalem Talmud.
https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/archaeology-around-the-world/article-838505
How to help Israel. Here are some sites where newsletter readers can donate to Israeli organizations that provide vital help to Israelis at this difficult time. Many thanks to those who have already contributed and to those who are helping by donating their own valuable time and resources.
Friends of the IDF (US donors): https://www.fidf.org/
or IDF Soldiers Fund in Israel: https://www.ufis.org.il/en/donation-en/ (select the English speakers’ option)
American Friends of Magen David Adom (US donors): https://afmda.org/
or Magen David Adom (Israel): https://www.mdais.org/en/donation
Zaka (US donors): https://donate.zakatelaviv.org/give/525578/ or (Israeli donors): https://charidy.com/zaka
or (Canadian donors): https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/bellevue-foundation/
United Hatzalah: https://israelrescue.org/campaign/israel-at-war-2/ or Canada https://www.uhcanada.org/
Donate a medic bag, save a life https://israelrescue.org/campaign/medicbag/
Leket Food Israel: https://www.leket.org/en/
JNF USA - https://my.jnf.org/gaza-emergency/Donate or Canada https://jnf.ca/
Orthodox Union - https://www.charidy.com/ouisraelcrisis
Schneider Children’s Hospital: https://www.fos.org.il/en/donate (Israelis)
https://system.smartgiving.org.uk/charities/8530/make-donation (UK)
https://chaischneider.org/donate/ (USA)
Rambam Medical Center (Haifa) https://aforam.org/ways-to-give/ (US)
https://www.rambam.org.il/en/support_rambam/donate_now/ (Rest of the World)
Hadassah Hospital Israel: https://www.hadassah.org/
Laniado Hospital (Netanya) https://my.israelgives.org/en/fundme/EmergencyLaniado
Buy Israel Bonds to support the Jewish State. (TY Larry B)
https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/state-of-israel-bonds
USA - https://www.israelbonds.com/
Europe - https://israelbondsintl.com/
Canada - https://www.israelbonds.ca/
